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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 20, 2015 7:46:15 GMT -5
When Comixology started selling the 90s PAD Supergirl series I started picking it up, having heard that it is the best Supergirl run even though it doesn't have the 'real' Supergirl. I got hooked and after a few weeks went and ordered the whole series so I wouldn't have wait for comixology to get through 12 issues a month.
This will be my first time reviewing a series/run issue by issue. I tried to start a thread like this on cbr, but the lack of any response combined with computer problems I was having for a couple of weeks afterwards killed the idea after a single review.
But before getting to issue #1, I'll be starting with Showcase 96 #8, which is the first time Peter David wrote Supergirl and led into the series proper just the following month.
Limited Resources
Supergirl is in a hospital, looking at a newborn baby and wondering what it's like to be born and to die. After being kicked out of that room, she ignores a reporter who tries to ask about the hurricane that just hit and turns invisible in order to sneak into the morgue. She wishes she could have saved someone who died during the storm. Afterwards the reporter finally gets an interview with her, though she is confused by the questions. Supergirl remembers how at one point during the storm she had had to choose between checking to see if a man who crashed her car was all right and getting a woman in labor to the hospital. She saved the mother and child but the driver of the other car was dead when she got back, and she's haunted by that failure despite all the other lives she saved. When asked what a typical day for her is like she responds that she doesn't have anything in her life outside of helping people or if she's even alive. The issue ends with Supergirl, exhausted from flying around saving people all day, getting some well-earned shut-eye.
My thoughts: This was a pretty big change from how the Matrix Supergirl was characterized in the Superman books. There she had been naïve, eager to please, somewhat bubbly, and in general very childlike. Not stupid-it was her plan after all that got 'Team Superman' into Engine City in one piece in the Return of Superman storyarc-but childlike. And of course chronologically she was the same age as a small child, maybe even a toddler.
She had been forced to grow up when she learned how Luthor, whom she had been dating, tried to breed an army of clones from her protomatter. Afterwards she was shown be very slow to trust in her brief time with the Titans, not even revealing the full extent of her powers for fear of how they'd react. After the Titans disbanded (again) she'd have been aimless, with no secret identity she wouldn't have had anything to ground her when she wasn't out being a superhero. So it makes sense that she'd end up brooding about her existence when left by herself.
It also makes sense that she'd take it so hard when she fails to save someone. It happens to every superhero. But she doesn't have a life outside of helping people, so she takes failure harder than she probably should.
While it makes sense that Supergirl has changed since breaking up with Luthor, it would have been better if there was some sort of acknowledgement in the story itself that the change had occurred. New readers might not be familiar with everything that goes on in the Superman comics and might assume that she was always like this. And for a story that's supposed to lead into an ongoing series it's surprising not to see any mention of her past history. And that brings the score down.
It paints a very sad picture of Supergirl's life as being aimless and her persona as unconfident and does a good job of showing that she needs more out of life than being a hero 24/7. B- |
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 20, 2015 10:53:03 GMT -5
Issue 1  Body and SoulBlood runs down a drain in an 'S' shape, as a young woman cleans her many wounds. She doesn't remember how she got so hurt or even who she is. Someone enters the apartment, and she recognizes it as her friend Mattie. Mattie is shocked ad overjoyed to see her alive. Right before the conversation, her wounds mysteriously heal. She speaks strangely about being 'empty' and 'needing to learn.' The conversation helps her remember some things, such as her name, Linda. She also remembers her boyfriend hurting her and then participating in her kidnapping, and a fight with her parents where her father was about to hit her before he stopped himself and she screamed that they hated her. These memories are too much and she runs out, faster than the eye can see. She runs so fast that she is able to save a man who jumped off of a building, leading him to say that an angel saved him. Linda realizes that she isn't human, and starts thinking she has 'minds.' She is confused and heads to the local newspaper's office for information. After a minor display of superstrength she sees the headline that Supergirl is feared dead. She feels a connection, but is interrupted by the most pathetic comics reporter since Eddie Brock, Cutter Sharp. He begs on his knees for her to give him her story, and she agrees because she needs her story more than he does. Elsewhere, the police have cordoned off a destroyed building while the creepy boyfriend talks to a demon in the shadows. Back at the newspaper, Linda is about to say that she feels like someone else when an image of Clark appears before her, telling her not to say anything and calling her 'Mae.' Cutter tells her a bit about her life, how she was obsessed with Supergirl and kidnapped by a dangerous cult. Her parents went on TV to ask for Supergirl's help. Linda then remembers a conversation between Supergirl and her parents. Her mother said that it was God's will for Supergirl to help their daughter, which causes the father to snap at Supergirl that she isn't human but a thing. Supergirl takes it in stride but tells him not to try to hurt the person who is trying to help him. He breaks down and begs her to save Linda. Linda is brought out of the memory by Cutter lighting a cigarette, which causes her to freak out. She shoves cutter across the room and runs out. Cutter runs after her, but she jumps to the roof. She looks inward and remembers Supergirl's attempt to rescue Linda from both Supergirl's and Linda's points of view. The cultists were trying to sacrifice Linda to bring the demon from earlier to earth, and the magic makes the fight more difficult for Supergirl. She is unable to stop Linda from being fatally stabbed, through she uses her tk to destroy the dagger so her blood can't be used to complete the spell. Supergirl holds Linda's dying body and neither can accept that this is how it will end. Supergirl feels empty all the time, and refuses to believe that there is nothing more she can do. Supergirl then melts out of costume and merges with Linda's body. Elsewhere, the local police are having a press conference to say that they have Supergirl's costume but no idea where the heroine is. There is an intense wind and suddenly the costume is gone. Supergirl flies through the skies once more. She and Linda are now one and the same. Supergirl has given Linda life, and in return Linda has given Supergirl hope. My thoughts: The main job of a first issue is to leave the reader wanting more, and on that count this issue succeeds. It is a really bold move that raises so many questions. And thankfully there are a few small references to Supergirl's past history, both about her time with Luthor and the fact that she does have a connection to Superman. There is the question of whether what Supergirl did was moral or not. And it is clear already that Linda's life was far from perfect before this craziness. I wondered when I first read it if the magic played a role in their merging. This new being spends most of the issue thinking she is Linda, but at the end identifies more as Supergirl. The first page of just blood is a sure sign that this is not a series for kids. This is a story with abuse, graphic violence, and serious themes. I doubt I would have been allowed to read it until towards the end of the run. It was a huge change to Supergirl's status quo, one I don't remember seeing reflected in her appearances in Superman's ongoings of the late 90s, though her part was usually minor there. I did see her with fire wings in a couple of issues, but it wasn't important to the story or explained the few times it happened, so I just assumed it was something to do with her tk. I was very small at the time. Overall it was an interesting first issue that left me anxious for issue 2. B+ |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Sept 20, 2015 23:43:39 GMT -5
This was an interesting one. I think I read up to issue ten or so. It's definitely a pitch for something else that Peter David sold as "Supergirl" - which is totally fine, I think the series lasted like 5 6 years, and "Angel Devil Girl" probably wouldn't have gone 5-6 issues. I definitely remember being surprised how damn dark it got, although...
My pick for "Best Supergirl" is the original Jim Mooney run where Superman is all "I'm just going to drop you off at the orphanage, and you can be Supergirl but NOBODY WILL EVER KNOW so you can just die in obscurity after saving hundreds of lives..." See ya!" Nobody's ever matched Weissinger in the "going from Mr. Ed sit-com humor to soul crushing darkness in the space of an issue."
So I'm fine with a relatively dark Supergirl for the '90s is perfectly acceptable, comic-history-wise.
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 21, 2015 5:21:12 GMT -5
Issue 2  Cat's PawSupergirl is in Linda's apartment, looking at pictures of an intimate moment Linda had shared with the guy who stabbed her. She is having a hard time sorting through the memories of two people. Linda's parents arrive, having been told by Mattie that Linda is still alive. Supergirl hides in the closet so she can change to Linda without being seen. A joyful reunion is had, until Supergirl notices that her costume didn't change with her form. Meanwhile, Cutter is driving his convertible and feeling good about the 'Linda Danvers is alive' scoop he landed when he sees a small child being taken into a van with the markings of the cult that had kidnapped Linda. Wishing there was a cop around, he follows the fans. Back in Linda's apartment, Fred wants her to go to the hospital to get checked out since she says she can't remember what happened in the warehouse where she and Supergirl merged. Of course Supergirl doesn't want to go, but then she sees the image of a hellscape and a giant monster. Her reaction causes her mother to say that she's hallucinating and that ends the argument. The monster Chakat, is furious with Buzz, Linda's murderer, for failing to summon him to earth, but Buzz just blows him off. Chakat stops their Skype call when he senses something approaching. Buzz then corners Cutter and offers him the 'inside story' on the cult. At the hospital, the doctor explains to Linda's parents that Linda not only doesn't have a concussion, but she's too healthy. There's no signs of any wounds even from past incidents. Supergirl is sitting on a hospital bed, struggling to sort out her feelings. She loves the Danvers' and feels like they're strangers at the same time. Buzz appears in her head and offers to sort things out for her. Supergirl's mind shatters and comes together at the same time, as she remembers that Linda was no innocent victim, but a part of the cult who watched their earlier crimes. She was evil. Buzz then draws her to his location. At a movie theater, the cult is cheering as Cutter is being repeatedly stabbed by a midget whom he had assumed was a kidnapped child earlier in a pepitition of the ceremony that was supposed to summon Chakat in the first issue. Supergirl arrives, and is distracted from her anger by the sight of Chakat coming through the screen. She forces him back and they land in Chakat's world. A fight ensues, and it is clear that though she can land blows, Supergirl can't beat Chakat through force. So, upon working out what Chakat is saying about why he needs to come to earth, she slashes him with his own giant knife and throws the blood-stained blade miles away. The scent of the blood draws in giant hounds who hav been hunting Chakat for centuries. Supergirl returns to earth. Buzz calls the police and has them arrest his cult. Supergirl brings Cutter to the hospital and thinks about what she has learned. Buzz only exploited the darkness in Linda. She chose to become evil. But Supergirl might have been chosen to be the instrument of Linda's redemption. My thoughts: This issue was so close to being an A+. The art is great. There's character. There's emotion. There's startling revelations. There's just one big problem. Chakat is pathetic. A giant demon-cat-god that is physically more powerful than Supergirl sounds cool, until he opens his mouth. He whines and whines to the point where I can't take him seriously. The reveal about Linda's past is a shocker, but we already see that she was a troubled child from the first issue, so it doesn't come out of nowhere. We still don't know if what Supergirl did was moral or not. Between Cutter's story and meeting Fred and Sylvia she can't exactly come out and say 'sorry, I actually failed to save Linda and it was an accident that I thought I was her for a while,' so she's stuck with Linda's life for the time being. I still wonder how much of her identifying primarily as Supergirl and thinking of Linda as someone else at this point is a mental choice. I'd be surprised if long-time Supergirl fan Linda, after the fights with her parents and joining a demon cult, wouldn't much rather have had Supergirl's life than her own even before they merged. So for all we know Linda could be the one who stole Supergirl's life and not the other way around. I'm not sure how much to take off for Chakat when the rest is so perfect. So the score I'm giving is B+/A-. |
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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Sept 21, 2015 8:58:13 GMT -5
I bought the 22 first issues back then, it was one of the few "regular" superhero titles that I genuinely enjoyed.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 11:38:36 GMT -5
I always enjoyed this run of Supergirl. The Gary Frank artwork and Peter David's storytelling were great. I like the dark world Supergirl/Linda found herself in transposed against her mother's faith in God. Great supporting cast and wild stories. Kind of like Buffy meets Supergirl.
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Post by SJNeal on Sept 21, 2015 19:45:58 GMT -5
Great thread so far! Matrix/Linda was, and remains, "my" Supergirl...
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 22, 2015 4:01:50 GMT -5
Nice to see some participation. Since there has already been some comparison and talk of 'my Supergirl' I guess it's time to talk about the elephant in the room.
What do I think of Matrix/Linda vs Kara Zor-EL.
There's really no contest. I prefer Superman's stepsister to his cousin by a huge margin.
To me Kara is a product of the Silver Age that, like Kandor, Krypto and the other pets, and bat-shark repellent, should have stayed there.
The problems I have are numerous. The first is Krypton itself. When a race of people can become godlike just by going to another planet, and then gets wiped out because they refuse to do so, there has to be a serious problem with their society that causes them to commit this collective suicide. Say what you will about Byrne's reboot, but his version of Krypton makes the most sense by far, is also the most alien version, and was nicely expanded upon by later writers with the Eradicator concept. In order to bring Kara back in the first place they had to retcon Byrne's Krypton out of existence in favor of the sillier Silver Age version first, thereby making many it impossible for many good stories from the triangle era to have happened. Superman being the only survivor is relatively easy to make work. The more Kryptonian survivors that are added the harder it is to explain Krypton in a non-silver age context.
This wouldn't matter if it was the only problem I had with Kara as a concept. Silly origins can be worked around or ignored as need be. However, there is yet another issue with having a second Kryptonian hero-the powers. Superman's godlike powers already make it more difficult to tell compelling stories about him. But when he's unique it is again easier to work around. He is the alpha and the omega. Adding another character with the exact same powers creates the exact same problems, only worse. Now there are two godlike beings for whom it is hard to write decent challenges. And the threats Kara is going to face are automatically going to be lesser in general than the threats Superman will face, because she is never going to be the 'greatest hero on earth' or one of the leaders of the JLA. And when she teams up with Superman to fight a greater threat than one of them can handle alone, what does she add? Heat vision? Strength? Flying around the world to make it go back in time? How interesting can a teamup between two godlike beings who have no differences in their powers be?
She is not unique, and by making Superman less unique she makes him less interesting.
This is why I feel no one seems to be able to figure out how to write her. When she was introduced Superman's reaction was to drop her at an orphanage and make her his 'secret weapon.' Either they were ridiculously misogynistic or they had no plan. When she finally came out, her solos floundered because she was just Superman-lite and people were already getting that from Superboy. When they brought her back in 2004, they 'updated' her by making her whiny teenager #4765, then turned her happy-go-lucky for some reason, and by the reboot her series was selling sub-20k. I admittedly haven't been following the Nu52 version at all, but I have to wonder what went so wrong that her solo got itself cancelled right when the hype for the first Supergirl tv series was supposed to be starting. She had to be written out of Smallville. And her tv show is already reminding people of the SNL Black Widow skit before it officially starts, and the supporting cast, with the exception of her sister, is not Kara's but Clark's. Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Lucy Lane, Sam Lane? It's Superman's world and Kara just lives in it.
I hear over and over how Kara is the 'real' Supergirl, the 'iconic' Supergirl, the Supegirl 'everyone knows.' But neither the sales nor the fandom seem to support that. The longest running Supergirl series only featured her in a couple of issues. Her own series start out selling well, but so did the PAD series and they relatively quickly deteriorate to the same sales the PAD series ended with or even lower. And if you check on places like Fanfiction.net, the Supergirl fandom is pretty much dead. Exactly one story has been updated since July, and 0 have been published since then.
In truth I'm not as against Kara as I'm making it seem. In a silver age context I can accept her and even occasionally enjoy her stories. In Elseworlds stories I have no problem with her at all. And I liked her guest appearances in the BQM Batgirl series. But none of that makes me want to read stories about her, either by herself or especially alongside Superman. I guess in theory someone like BQM could make her work, but in my opinion to date no one has.
I can't help but feel that the reason for Kara's place in DC since 2004 is not her own merit or popularity, but the same Silver Age nostalgia that I feel played a big part in ruining DC over the past decade.
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 22, 2015 4:45:26 GMT -5
Moving onto Matrix/Linda.
This version, especially when she was still just Matrix, has problems. But they are her problems and don't affect Superman's character the way Kara's problems do. Her origin is overly convoluted, but that is hardly a unique problem and is easy to work around. She also didn't have her own supporting cast until the merger, though after that her supporting cast was great. There were also certain problems with the post-issue 50 Linda Danvers that I'll get into when we get that far that I feel were the reasons for her being written out, even though PAD had actually fixed those problems before he ended. He fixed them too late.
Matrix was also 'the sole survivor of a dead world.' That world just happened to not be Krypton, so no problems were raised on that front. She wasn't Superman-lite. Her powers were distinct from his, allowing her to be weaker but still give him and his enemies a hard time. More importantly, her powers gave her something to contribute to the fights other than punching and burning things the exact same as Superman. It worked a lot better when Superman called Matrix his 'secret weapon' because he wasn't being patronizing, condescending, misogynistic, or stupid. He was referring to her using her invisibility power strategically. Her part in the attack on Engine City in Return of Superman couldn't have been done by anyone else, especially not Kara. Action scenes can be more dynamic and more creative when she shares panel space with Superman than when Kara does.
I like the step-sister aspect (and it is one of the primary reasons I prefer to have the Kents alive). It allows them to be family without making Superman into a dad figure like he is for Kara most of the time. They are on equal footing except for her mistakes like the Luthor relationship.
That's one place where I think a good idea was sometimes poorly executed. It is completely understandable why she'd fall for him under the circumstances, but making her so subservient was a mistake. Even then she was well-utilized in the World Without a Superman, Reign of the Superman, and Return of Superman.
I don't think Matrix, by herself, could carry her own series or ever be anything more than a supporting character. So the merger was necessary, and it worked wonders. Now we had a Supergirl that was more unique than ever before or since, with a compelling supporting cast, and for the only time her own actual mythology. And it lasted longer than any other Supergirl series and sold just as well with DC actually regretting pulling the plug when they saw the last issues. So even though I've only read it these past 2 months instead of when it had come out, the Peter David Supergirl is 'my' Supergirl, with pre-merger Matrix, who I knew more about from trades and my older sister's Superman comics, being second.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 6:13:43 GMT -5
To me she's is Linda/Kara Zor-El and the Matrix name doesn't make any sense with me. I prefer her in the Silver Age by a country mile and one that liked in your above posts pretty much sums up her quite nicely. Nicely Done - you've certainly done your homework here.
That's my take on it.
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Post by DE Sinclair on Sept 22, 2015 9:55:36 GMT -5
Thanks for doing these reviews, I'm really enjoying them. I have some of the later issues of this series and your reviews are making me think I may need to try to fill in the earlier issues. Please keep them coming.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2015 10:44:10 GMT -5
While I enjoyed the silver age Supergirl, her stories were pretty light (in keeping with the times). There were a few stories in Adventure Comics that were pretty good with art by Tony DeZuniga (I think). I enjoyed her team-ups with Batgirl in World's Finest. She was certainly a fashion plate with her many costumes in the early 70s. I enjoyed reading about her in Superman Family.
Peter David's version of Supergirl was something different. There are familiar elements such as Mr. and Mrs. Danvers, Comet, and Dick Malverne and new characters like Maddie and Buzz. I like how the town is Leesburg (a knod to Linda Lee)and that Linda was a sculptress. In the Silver Age, I believe she changed careers as often as she changed costumes.
I enjoyed the 90s series up until they changed her into the white mid riff look.
Your reviews are making me want to dig these issues out of their boxes and re-read them!
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 22, 2015 16:30:24 GMT -5
When Comixology started selling the 90s PAD Supergirl series I started picking it up, having heard that it is the best Supergirl run even though it doesn't have the 'real' Supergirl. Do people really call it the best Supergirl ever? I'm not doubting you, I just ... no way! Peter David's Supergirl came out at a time when I was reading a few more super-hero comics than usual, and I remember reading the first twenty or thirty issues. I remember liking it when it started. I must have liked it, or I wouldn't have read it for that long. Mostly, I remember thinking the art was FANTASTIC! But I flipped through them five or six years ago and it seemed very thin. The whole angels and demons aspect was not nearly strong enough for it to go on as long as it did. (I find that with Peter David a lot, especially when I go back and read them years later. I never wonder why I stopped reading in the middle of a storyline because I always remember getting bored. I was re-reading Peter David's Hulk a few years ago and I only read a few issues after the Pantheon started, even though there were a bunch more issues left.) Meanwhile, the 1960s Supergirl stories are AWESOME! Inventive and fun and CRAZY! Totally whacko! I'm not going to say they are the best Supergirl comics ever because there are a lot of Supergirl comics I haven't read. But they are certainly better than the Peter David series. (Which isn't bad. I liked it the first time around.) |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 22, 2015 19:24:19 GMT -5
I didn't mind the Matrix Supergirl that appeared in the Superman comics in the early 90s. I gave the Peter David version 16 issues before it became the first Superman related series I ever dropped. (and I have the full run of Superboy & the Ravers!) Gary Frank's work is very good though. I was very pleased when DC corrected their mistake and brought back the real version over a decade ago.
My favorite Supergirl series since the Silver Age is the six issue mini series from the Johnny DC line "Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade."
I do like your reviews sunofdarkchild, keep 'em coming!
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Sept 23, 2015 16:51:35 GMT -5
Issue 3  And No Dawn to Follow the DarknessThis issue ties into the Final Night event that took place at the end of 1996, where a giant alien life form enveloped the sun and actually started to eat it, causing the earth to plunge into darkness and slowly freeze to death. Supergirl did not play much of a part in the event itself, and this issue shows why. With so many other heroes (and Luthor, whom she probably wanted avoid at all cost) dealing with the sun eater she felt that she was needed to take care of Leesburg, where the populace is panicking. Supergirl is trying to calm the crowd down, but it is quickly turning into a mob, with several civilians accusing her of only trying to save herself while they all die. When they start grabbing her she tries to turn invisible and slip away, only to find that nothing happens. While she is distracted by her power not working the mob starts hitting her, and she doesn't try to defend herself. The police, led by Linda's dad Fred, arrive to disperse the crowd. One guy refuses to stop beating Supergirl up, so she flies him into the sky and when they come back down the fight has gone out of him. Buzz is talking with a mystery figure about the town 'being everything he promised.' Linda's mom is broadcasting a message from the local church from her car when another mob attacks her vehicle, screaming that god let this happen. Someone we've never seen before is running through the street, trying to escape the craziness. He runs into a store to ask for help but the owner doesn't hesitate to shoot him in the chest with a shotgun. The owner then raves about knowing what 'his kind' (meaning black people) are like while sporting large fangs. At the precinct, Fred and Supergirl are sharing coffee. Fred is amazed that Supergirl tolerated the mob beating her up without fighting back. Of course they couldn't actually hurt her, but Fred doesn't know that she threatened to kill that one guy she flew away with. Supergirl decides to head back out and Fred asks her to keep an eye on Linda and says he wishes Linda was more like her. To which Supergirl replies that she's probably more like Linda than he'd suspect. Cutter has been in the hospital since getting stabbed last issue. He decides to go out to cover the chaos even though he isn't recovered. When Mattie, who apparently works at the hospital, tries to stop him, he says that he has to do it for himself even if no one will read his articles because the world is ending. This prompts Mattie to try to call her brother, who turns out to be the kid that was shot earlier in the issue. Supergirl is flying around town, using her tk to put out fires when she notices her mother's car being attacked. Another mob tries to beat her up, turning apelike, and she grows angry, deciding to take on the form she had when she attacked Luthor after finding out he was trying to clone. But again her power doesn't work. As she finishes taking care of her attackers her mother's car explodes. At the church the reverend is very angry that his office has been ransacked, and the shadowy figure from before is present. At the hospital Mattie is turning into a gorilla-like thing. Supergirl managed to save her mother, who insists on being taken to the church. As they fly over the city they see the debauchery going on below. Supergirl thinks to herself about how far humanity has come and how far it hasn't, and for the first time thinks of herself as human. After Supergirl drops her mother off at the church, Buzz confronts her, saying that she can't shapeshift or turn invisible because her merging with Linda has caused her to have psychic limits. Supergirl assumes that Buzz is causing the town to go so crazy, but he says that it's a magic talisman that normally only works during a solar eclipse that is the cause, and that he doesn't have it. Supergirl is distracted from beating more information out of him by the sound of her mother screaming. Inside the church the reverend is preaching that they must embrace the beast within. Only Sylvia is untransformed into an ape-form, and the rest of the churchgoers attack her. Supergirl rescues her, but then the villain makes his presence known. It is Grodd. Supergirl fights him, but he shoves the talisman in her face, and she becomes corrupted as well. Outside Buzz says that the talisman's working on her proves that Supergirl is human now and decides to quit smoking. My thoughts: Wow. That is a lot of subplots. Literally every major character from the first 2 issues is involved in something different. That is easily the best rendition of Grodd I've ever seen. Being drawn more realistically only serves to make him creepier. We see Supergirl start to form a relationship with the local police, which is an important part of establishing oneself as that city's resident superhero. Her dad being on the force is an interesting wrinkle in that relationship. Also the way she reacts to seeing her mother in danger shows more of Linda's personality coming out. On that note, this is the first issue so far where she doesn't appear in Linda's form in a single panel. Too much going on. A couple of continuity points, I'm pretty sure Final Night lasted a number of days, but this and the next issue have it only last one day. Also, Supergirl seems much weaker here than I'd expect. First being knocked down by regular people and then not ko'ing Grodd with her first hit. I get that she was likely holding backmost of her strength and that being knocked down doesn't necessarily mean that she even felt the blow, but this is someone who has fought Daxamites, Draaga, and Superman. Even in the previous issue she threw a man-sized knife so far it landed miles away. It's odd seeing her get staggered that easily and not hurting Grodd any more than Batman would. She must have been holding back as much as she would against normal people and not realized that Grodd could take more than the average criminal. But those are my only complaints. A lot happened. The art was great. And Leesburg got fleshed out in a number of different ways, which is a good thing this early in a new series. B+ |
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